A new banking system is coming into reality, which uses an electronic money being an "electronic data" having the same value as cash. Transferring electric money is carried out in the electronic money system, in which an electronic money information is stored in an exclusive IC card and the electronic money information is sent and received between two IC cards through exclusive equipment and terminals. Such a system is disclosed, for example, in the international application published under PCT as Number: WO 91/16691. In this example, a mutual certification is made directly between IC cards when a transaction occurs.
In the conventional electronic money system, a remitter directly communicates with the other party for remittance (receiptor of the electronic money) through a communication network to set up a communication line between the IC card of the other party and that of the remitter, thus directly remitting an electronic money. Therefore, if the other party is not present, or, although being present, if the other party has not yet set the IC card in the card reader, the communication line between the IC cards of both parties is not set up, which makes impossible of remittance.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing circumstances, and it is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electronic money remittance system that enables to remit an electronic money even if a direct communication with the other party for remittance cannot be made.
Another object of the invention is to provide an electronic money remittance system that can easily switch a remittance method into another if an electronic money cannot be sent to the other party for remittance on any reason.
Further, another object of the invention is to provide an electronic money remittance system that can remit an electronic money to the other party by an indirect remittance through a third party, not depending on the conveniences of the other party.